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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to click
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. current — happening now
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — to grow
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — to drill
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com